I write about sports, entertainment and business. My work has appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, ESPN and Sports Illustrated. I've also worked as a senior writer for the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games.

Who Cares About Doping, The Armstrong Brand Is Stronger Than Ever

According to his agent, all major sponsors including Nike, RadioShack, Oakley and Michelob Ultra will honor contracts, according to reports. And not only that, Armstrong may be inking a new endorsement deal with a major sponsor.

Even the Lance Armstrong Foundation is seeing increased numbers. The day after Armstrong said he would no longer defend himself against United States Anti-Doping Agency’s doping allegations, it saw a 30 percent spike in donations.

“We’ve been lucky to have such good partners who support Lance not merely because he can help with their brands, but because they believe in what he is doing,” said Bill Stapleton told a reporter earlier this week.

In that interview, Stapleton also hinted that Armstrong was close to inking a contract with a new major sponsor.

“In five years, I expect that all of his partners will still be his partners,” Stapleton added. “And he will have raised $1 billion for the foundation.”

Armstrong’s net worth has been estimated at roughly $125 million. According to Forbes magazine, he earns more than $10 million a year in speaking fees and endorsement deals.

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To answer the question you posed in your title, “Who Cares About Doping, The Armstrong Brand Is Stronger Than Ever”, actually quite a lot of people do.

Young riders who want to compete in cycling and not have to face the choice of being forced out of the sport because they refuse to take PEDs (Andy Bishop, Christophe Bassons) or compromising their integrity (which most of the peloton did from early 1990s to late 2000s).

Profesisonal riders who want to be able to compete clean and not worry about dropping dead from the PEDs they’re putting in their bodies. Over 25 cyclists have died in their sleep due to EPO induced heart attacks. EPO stimulates the production of red blood cells which is wonderful for the endurance athlete, but makes the blood much thicker. When the athlete goes to bed at night and his heart rate slows, his heart can pump the thick blood and he dies. Not a good choice for young cyclists.

Mothers and fathers who want to get their kids into cycling as a means to build character and integrity. They don’t want their kids to learn that a win-at-all-cost mentality is worth emulating.

So I’d say alot of people care about the doping. Alot of people also care about the fight against cancer. The two don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

Let’s see how well the brand holds up after a few months, John. As a cancer survivor, he’ll get a bigger pass than most involved with PEDs…but his Q score numbers have been dipping since 2005. What will the donation momentum look like in summer 2013 and beyond?